Mark 6:53-56

After making the crossing to the other side of the sea,
Jesus and his disciples came to land at Gennesaret
and tied up there.
As they were leaving the boat, people immediately recognized him.
They scurried about the surrounding country
and began to bring in the sick on mats
to wherever they heard he was.
Whatever villages or towns or countryside he entered,
they laid the sick in the marketplaces
and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak;
and as many as touched it were healed.

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Imagine yourself being with Jesus as thousands of people gather around Him from all over the world.  They have heard of His miraculous healing power and everyone wants a piece of Him, or at least they want to touch the tassel on His cloak.  Everyone who touched Jesus’ cloak was healed.

This reminds me of an experience that I had this weekend in St. Paul, MN.  While I was visiting some of our seminarians at St. John Vianney College Seminary we went over to St. Paul Seminary.  They were hosting an event called “Cor Jesu” (The Heart of Jesus).  It is for young adults.  The evening includes two hours of Eucharistic adoration, confessions and beautiful praise and worship music.

I was amazed as I walked in there were over 200 young adults gathered in the chapel!  There was a long line to go to confession and the music was angelic.  As I knelt to pray I was moved to tears as I saw these young adults approaching the altar.    There were white cloths flowing from the altar and the young adults would reach out for the cloths almost like the people of the gospel reaching out to touch Jesus’ cloak.  It was a beautiful sign of faith and humility.  They instinctively knew that Jesus was the one that could heal their deepest wounds and no one else.

May we too turn to the Lord for everything.  May we cast our cares upon Him, for He always wants to heal us and love us.
Have a blessed day!

Fr. Burke

http://frburke23.wordpress.com

Mark 6:7-13

Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two
and gave them authority over unclean spirits.
He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick
–no food, no sack, no money in their belts.
They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic.
He said to them,
“Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave from there.
Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you,
leave there and shake the dust off your feet
in testimony against them.”
So they went off and preached repentance.
The Twelve drove out many demons,
and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

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There is a lot in this short Gospel reading today.  First of all, Jesus sent His Apostles out two by two.  He didn’t send them alone, but in pairs.  There is strength in numbers and Jesus knew how difficult their task would be.  They would face extremely difficult circumstances and just starting out in this new mission would be helped by having a companion.

But Jesus did not send them out empty-handed.  He gave them authority to cast out demons as well as the living Gospel to preach.  Thus, with the power of Jesus with them, they had nothing to fear; not even demons.

They were not to worry about their material possessions.  They were to rely on the Lord to supply all their needs through the help of families who opened their doors to them.  I have found this to be true in my own short time in ministry.  I used to worry about material possessions, but the more I learn to trust in Jesus, I realize that He always supplies all that I need, and more…  His grace is super-abundant!

They were not to worry about the response of people either.  Their mission was to proclaim that the Kingdom of God was at hand.  If someone did not accept them or their message, they should just shake the dust off their sandals and continue on.  Sometimes we are so concerned about how people respond to us, when in reality we have no control over that.  Our job as disciples of Christ is to prepare ourselves in prayer and study and then share His truth in love.  We cannot control how people respond to the Gospel message, only how we portray the message.

Finally, we hear some of the results.  The Apostles drove out demons and performed many anointings in the name of Christ.  I find it amazing that the same kind of anointing that the Apostles did 2000 years ago, we continue to do today in the Church today, and I have seen the power of Christ working in the sacrament first hand.

May all of us disciples of Christ prepare ourselves well to be sent out into the field to share His Gospel of love.  May we not worry about our material possessions or the other false securities this world offers, but focus on sharing God’s truth in love.  And do not be afraid!  The Lord will provide; our ‘job’ is to trust in Him.

Have a great day!
Fr. Burke

http://frburke23.wordpress.com

Mark 6:1-6
Jesus departed from there and came to his native place,
accompanied by his disciples.
When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue,
and many who heard him were astonished.
They said, “Where did this man get all this?
What kind of wisdom has been given him?
What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands!
Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary,
and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon?
And are not his sisters here with us?”

And they took offense at him.
Jesus said to them,
“A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and among his own kin and in his own house.”
So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there,
apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them.
He was amazed at their lack of faith.

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Imagine what it must have been like for Jesus to be rejected by His own people.   He was sent to gather the tribes of Israel, yet they did not listen to Him.  Not only did they not listen to Him, but they crucified Him on Calvary.

Do you ever feel like Jesus?  He says, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place….”  Often the most difficult place to spread the Gospel is in our own home, within our own family, in our home town. 

Why is a prophet not accepted in his own home?  I believe it is because our family and friends who knew us “back then” know our faults and failings.  Jesus of course never sinned, but they had a hard time believing that He was the Messiah since they knew Him to be the Son of a carpenter.  Our family and friends knew us when we were little brats.  They saw us make mistakes and sin.

However, they sometimes discount the movement of grace in our lives.  The grace of God can change lives completely.  And once Jesus replaces our hearts of stone with a heart of flesh, our lives are never the same.  And He calls us to spread the Gospel and baptize all nations in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Some people do not want to hear this message.  Some people are going to laugh at us.  Some people are going to call us “Jesus freaks” or worse.  But that should not slow us down or change our path.  Look what happened to Jesus.  What He did on the cross saved the world. 

What are you willing to endure for Jesus’ sake?

Are you willing to endure ridicule and rejection for the sake of the Gospel?

Do you compromise your beliefs so that others accept you, even though you may be compromising the Gospel?

The Lord is calling us to be faithful, not successful, as Mother Theresa once said.  Have a blessed day!
Fr. Burke

http://frburke23.wordpress.com

Luke 2:22-40

When the days were completed for their purification
according to the law of Moses,
Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem
to present him to the Lord,
just as it is written in the law of the Lord,
Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,
and to offer the sacrifice of
a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,
in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.
This man was righteous and devout,
awaiting the consolation of Israel,
and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit
that he should not see death
before he had seen the Christ of the Lord.
He came in the Spirit into the temple;
and when the parents brought in the child Jesus
to perform the custom of the law in regard to him,
he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:
“Now, Master, you may let your servant go
in peace, according to your word,
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples:
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and glory for your people Israel.”
The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;
and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
“Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
and you yourself a sword will pierce
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
There was also a prophetess, Anna,
the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.
She was advanced in years,
having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage,
and then as a widow until she was eighty-four.
She never left the temple,
but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer.
And coming forward at that very time,
she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child
to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.

When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions
of the law of the Lord,
they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.
The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom;
and the favor of God was upon him.

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Today the Church celebrates the Presentation of our Lord in the Temple.  This is a beautiful story and another epiphany moment (revelation that Jesus is the Lord).  There are three parts of the story that I’d like to relate to our lives.

1)     Joseph and Mary took Jesus to the temple because they followed closely the laws of their Jewish faith.  They were dedicating their child to God the Father.  They were blessed by God with this child and wanted to give God thanks and praise.  We too are called to thank God for all of the blessings in our lives.  Like Mary and Joseph we should dedicate our children to God the Father.  We can also dedicate ourselves (mind, body, soul, gifts, talents, time) to God that He may use us as He wishes.

2)    Simeon was a holy man who had been promised by God that he would not die until he saw the Messiah.  So Simeon went with anticipation to the temple in order to see the Light for all nations.  As soon as he saw this little child in Mary’s arms, Simeon was inspired by the Holy Spirit to recognize Jesus as the Messiah.  May we be guided by the Holy Spirit, like Simeon, to look with anticipation for Jesus’ presence in our lives.  He is present in every person we encounter.  He is present in the breaking of the bread.  He is present in His holy Word.  Lord, give us the eyes of Simeon.

3)    Finally, Anna was a prophetess who spent all of her time in the temple in prayer and fasting.  When she saw Jesus she gave thanks and praise to God and she went and spoke to all who would listen about this Jesus.  May we have the missionary courage of Anna to share the Good News with all that we meet once we have encountered the risen Christ.  Lord, give us the heart and missionary zeal of Anna.

Have a blessed day!
Fr. Burke

http://frburke23.wordpress.com

Mark 5:1-20

Jesus and his disciples came to the other side of the sea,
to the territory of the Gerasenes.
When he got out of the boat,
at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him.
The man had been dwelling among the tombs,
and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain.
In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains,
but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed,
and no one was strong enough to subdue him.
Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides
he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones.
Catching sight of Jesus from a distance,
he ran up and prostrated himself before him,
crying out in a loud voice,
“What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?
I adjure you by God, do not torment me!”
(He had been saying to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!”)
He asked him, “What is your name?”

He replied, “Legion is my name. There are many of us.”
And he pleaded earnestly with him
not to drive them away from that territory.

Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside.
And they pleaded with him,
“Send us into the swine. Let us enter them.”
And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine.
The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea,
where they were drowned.
The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the town
and throughout the countryside.
And people came out to see what had happened.
As they approached Jesus,
they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion,
sitting there clothed and in his right mind.
And they were seized with fear.
Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happened
to the possessed man and to the swine.
Then they began to beg him to leave their district.
As he was getting into the boat,
the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him.
But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead,
“Go home to your family and announce to them
all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.”
Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis
what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.

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Today we hear about the amazing exorcism by Jesus as He sends the “legion” of demons into the swineherd.  Interestingly, the demons recognized Jesus right away.  This reading shows us that Jesus has power over Satan and his dominions.

This is important for us to know because some people have the notion that God and Satan are two equal and opposing forces.  They believe that Satan has as much power as Jesus and there is a battle that we are not sure who is going to win.

Remember that Satan is a creation of God.  Thus, Satan’s power is nothing like that of God.  Therefore, we must hear the words of Scripture (repeated over 150 times), “Do not be afraid.”  No matter how difficult things may be in your life, turn to Jesus and ask for His help and love.

Does Satan have power?  Yes, if we give it to him.  But if we remain focused on Jesus Christ, as Peter did as he walked on water, Satan has no power over us.  He will tempt us in many ways, especially the closer we come to Christ.  But we must know that Jesus has won the victory on the cross.  Now it is up to us to allow the Lord into our hearts and be the center of our lives.

Don’t open yourselves to the power of Satan by taking your eyes off of Christ, by giving into temptation, by standing too close to the fire. 

And if we ever are afraid, call on the name of Jesus, who is more powerful than anything or anyone else in this world.

May God bless you as you make Jesus the center of your life.

Fr. Burke

http://frburke23.wordpress.com

2 Samuel 11:1-4a, 5-10a, 13-17

At the turn of the year, when kings go out on campaign,
David sent out Joab along with his officers
and the army of Israel,
and they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah.
David, however, remained in Jerusalem.
One evening David rose from his siesta
and strolled about on the roof of the palace.
From the roof he saw a woman bathing, who was very beautiful.
David had inquiries made about the woman and was told,
“She is Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam,
and wife of Joab’s armor bearer Uriah the Hittite.”
Then David sent messengers and took her.
When she came to him, he had relations with her.
She then returned to her house.
But the woman had conceived,
and sent the information to David, “I am with child.”

David therefore sent a message to Joab,
“Send me Uriah the Hittite.”
So Joab sent Uriah to David.
When he came, David questioned him about Joab, the soldiers,
and how the war was going, and Uriah answered that all was well.
David then said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and bathe your feet.”
Uriah left the palace,
and a portion was sent out after him from the king’s table.
But Uriah slept at the entrance of the royal palace
with the other officers of his lord, and did not go down
to his own house.
David was told that Uriah had not gone home.
On the day following, David summoned him,
and he ate and drank with David, who made him drunk.
But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his bed
among his lord’s servants, and did not go down to his home.
The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab
which he sent by Uriah.
In it he directed:
“Place Uriah up front, where the fighting is fierce.
Then pull back and leave him to be struck down dead.”
So while Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah
to a place where he knew the defenders were strong.
When the men of the city made a sortie against Joab,
some officers of David’s army fell,
and among them Uriah the Hittite died.

______________________________________

How could this happen to David?  He was supposed to the chosen one – the king to deliver Israel from all its enemies.  The kings were looked upon as gods during this time.  And yet, David too fell victim to sin.  And oh, how he sinned.

Let’s begin with lusting after Bathsheba as she is bathing on a neighboring rooftop.  Then he commits adultery with her and she becomes pregnant.  And if that is not enough, he plots to have Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, killed on the battlefield to get him out of the picture and to cover up his sin.

It would easy for us to sit back and point our fingers at David.  But we all can fall into this same trap, can’t we?  We all have sinned.  And often one sin leads to another.  And then we try to cover up that sin and all of a sudden, we are in a full-blown mess.

That is why abortion is such a tragedy in our culture.  We want to have our fun without any consequences.  One sin leads to another sin and we want to cover up our past sins.

It is time for our country, but more importantly, each of us as individuals, to look deep inside of ourselves at the root of sin.  We are going to begin Lent on February 17, a great time to reflect on where we are with God.  But don’t wait for Lent!

The wonderful thing is that we have a God that is infinitely merciful.  We are all sinners and Jesus came to save us.  Just like the woman caught in adultery, Jesus does not condemn us.  He looks at us with mercy and kindness.  Then He calls us to “go and sin no more”.

Questions to ponder:

1)     What is at the root of my sinfulness?

2)    Where have I sinned against God and others in my life?

3)    Have I confessed those sins?

4)    Have I tried to cover up my past sins with other sins?

5)    Do I trust in God’s infinite mercy to forgive my sins?

Have a blessed weekend.

Fr. Burke

http://frburke23.wordpress.com

Mark 4:21-25

Jesus said to his disciples,
“Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket
or under a bed,
and not to be placed on a lampstand?
For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible;
nothing is secret except to come to light.
Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear.”
He also told them, “Take care what you hear.
The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you,
and still more will be given to you.
To the one who has, more will be given;
from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

______________________________________________

I am forever grateful to the Catholic education that I received at Providence Catholic High School in New Lenox, IL.  I went there as a non-Catholic to get a good education and to play baseball.  But the Lord knew what He was doing.  I left the school a Catholic and my life has never been the same.  So many teachers and fellow students were shining lights of God’s love for me.

Once I experienced the love of Jesus Christ in the Scriptures, in the Eucharist and in my heart, there was no turning back.  And the Lord has lit a light in my heart that I want to share with everyone that I can.  I want to place the lamp on the lampstand.  I want to shout from the rooftops that Jesus is the savior of the world and the love of my life.

I have experienced this Gospel throughout my life.  “The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you, and still more will be given to you.”  When I have been selfish with my time and talent, I have felt closed off from the world.  However, when I have been generous with my very being and my time, the Lord has blessed my life more than I ever could imagine.  He certainly does give us 100-fold and more when we serve others. 

So let us take time today to ask ourselves:

1)     Is the light of Christ alive in my heart and do others see it?  Do I hide the fact that I’m a Christian?

2)    Am I generous in serving others?  Have I experienced the generosity of the Lord when I give of myself?

Have a blessed day!
Fr. Burke

http://frburke23.wordpress.com

Mark 4:1-20
On another occasion, Jesus began to teach by the sea.
A very large crowd gathered around him
so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down.
And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land.
And he taught them at length in parables,
and in the course of his instruction he said to them,
“Hear this! A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and the birds came and ate it up.
Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep.
And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots. 
Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it

and it produced no grain.
And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit.
It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”
He added, “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.”

And when he was alone,
those present along with the Twelve
questioned him about the parables.
He answered them,
“The mystery of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you.
But to those outside everything comes in parables, so that
they may look and see but not perceive,
and hear and listen but not understand,
in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven.”

Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable?
Then how will you understand any of the parables?
The sower sows the word.
These are the ones on the path where the word is sown.
As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once
and takes away the word sown in them.
And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who,
when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy.
But they have no roots; they last only for a time.
Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
they quickly fall away.
Those sown among thorns are another sort.
They are the people who hear the word,
but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches,
and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word,
and it bears no fruit.
But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”

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Since the Gospel today is rather lengthy I will not go into a detailed sermon about this.  However, I would just offer the following questions regarding this familiar parable of the sower and the seed:

1)     What kind of soil makes up your heart?  Is it ready to receive the Word?

2)    Do I read Scripture and pray daily in order to prepare my heart for what the Lord is trying to teach me?

3)    Does the lure of riches of this world choke off any spiritual growth in my life?

4)    Do my roots go deep allowing my faith to flourish even during difficult times?  Or am I swept away by the smallest bit of suffering?

This is a wonderful parable to ponder.  May God bless you now and always, for He is love and He wants to transform your heart.

Fr. Burke

http://frburke23.wordpress.com

Mark 3:31-35

The mother of Jesus and his brothers arrived at the house.
Standing outside, they sent word to Jesus and called him.
A crowd seated around him told him,
“Your mother and your brothers and your sisters
are outside asking for you.”
But he said to them in reply,
“Who are my mother and my brothers?”
And looking around at those seated in the circle he said,
“Here are my mother and my brothers.
For whoever does the will of God
is my brother and sister and mother.”

___________________________________________

Have you ever been told, “You remind me so much of your father/mother?”  If we respect our parents, this is one of the greatest compliments we can receive.  People see something in us that reminds us of our parents.  It may be the way we talk, smile, walk, laugh, etc.

Wouldn’t it be great if people tell us, “I see Jesus in you?”  I can’t imagine a greater compliment!  If people see something in me that reminds them of our Lord, I would be humbled to my toes.  Yet, that is what we strive to be as we grow in holiness.  St. Paul said, “It is not me who lives, but Christ who lives in me.”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus says, “For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”  We become part of Jesus’ family through baptism, which justifies us before God, and by doing the will of our heavenly Father.  What we do is extremely important in life.  Our faith needs to be brought into action through love of God and our neighbor.  That is the greatest way to do the will of God – LOVE.

So let us take time today and ask ourselves the question, do people see Jesus in me?  If not, what do I need to change today so that my life reflects Jesus Christ?

Have a blessed day!
Fr. Burke

http://frburke23.wordpress.com

Acts 22:3-16

Paul addressed the people in these words:
(I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia,
but brought up in this city.
At the feet of Gamaliel I was educated strictly in our ancestral law
and was zealous for God, just as all of you are today.
I persecuted this Way to death,
binding both men and women and delivering them to prison.
Even the high priest and the whole council of elders
can testify on my behalf.
For from them I even received letters to the brothers
and set out for Damascus to bring back to Jerusalem
in chains for punishment those there as well.

“On that journey as I drew near to Damascus,
about noon a great light from the sky suddenly shone around me.
I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me,
‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’
I replied, ‘Who are you, sir?’
And he said to me,
‘I am Jesus the Nazorean whom you are persecuting.’
My companions saw the light
but did not hear the voice of the one who spoke to me.
I asked, ‘What shall I do, sir?’
The Lord answered me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus,
and there you will be told about everything
appointed for you to do.’
Since I could see nothing because of the brightness of that light,
I was led by hand by my companions and entered Damascus.

“A certain Ananias, a devout observer of the law,
and highly spoken of by all the Jews who lived there,
came to me and stood there and said,
‘Saul, my brother, regain your sight.’
And at that very moment I regained my sight and saw him.
Then he said,
‘The God of our ancestors designated you to know his will,
to see the Righteous One, and to hear the sound of his voice;
for you will be his witness before all
to what you have seen and heard.
Now, why delay?
Get up and have yourself baptized and your sins washed away,
calling upon his name.’”
________________________________________________________

Today we celebrate the conversion of St. Paul.  This is a wonderful day to remember that all things are possible with God.  Paul had been persecuting, arresting and partaking in the murder of Christians (people of the Way).

We may not be persecuting others or killing people like St. Paul, but the Lord is calling out to us as He did to Saul.  He calls each of us to conversion.  He is asking us to surrender every part of our life to Him.

Maybe we have a secret part of our life that no one knows about….  Maybe there is a sin that haunts us and keeps us from a life of abundant joy….

Jesus is saying, “Surrender everything to me.  I will heal you and love you.  I will give you joy.”

This day always reminds me of my own conversion.  My heart was empty until I began to learn about Jesus Christ by reading the Gospels as a high school student.  I was baptized at the age of 18 and thought I had given everything over to Jesus.  Well it was a good first step.  But I find that conversion and holiness is a daily surrender to God.  We stumble and fall sometimes, but the Lord lifts us up, dusts us off, forgives us and then says, “Go and sin no more”, as He told the woman caught in adultery.

The evil one is always tempting us to live a double life.  He wants us to keep things secret and hidden from others.  This only leads to isolation and depression.  We must fight this temptation and bring everything to the light of Christ.

And when we receive the type of unconditional love that only Jesus can give us, we cannot help but go forth and share this good news.  That is what St. Paul did.  And it is very possible that you and I are Christians today because of the work that St. Paul did by spreading the news of Jesus to the Gentiles.

Let us surrender to Jesus today.  We may not be like St. Paul and see the blazing light or hear God’s voice cry out from heaven, but the gentle invitation is there today echoing in our hearts, “Come, follow me.  Turn away from sin and believe in the Gospel.”

Have a great day!
Fr. Burke

http://frburke23.wordpress.com